Adjusting-washer.



No. 628,94l.

Patented luly I8, |899.

R. JANNEY.

ADJUSTING WASHER.

(Application led Dec. 12, 1898.)

(No Modal.)

I 1 f f I I l l l I l 1 n l f l 1 1 l I f l l f 1 1 1 NrrE STATES REYNOLD JANNEY, OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ADJUsTlNe-WASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,941, dated July 18, 1899.

I Application filed December 12,1898- Slerial No. 698,972. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern/.-

Be it known that I, REYNOLD JANNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Keene, in the countjT of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Adjusting-Washer, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a piece or attachment which I term an adjusting-Washer, which has been especially designed for bicycle-work;'and the object of my present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive attachment which may be used for adjusting or tightening bearings without elnploying the narrow wrenches, spanners, or other special tools heretofore usnall y required 4for this purpose.

To this end my invention consists of an adj ustin g-washer, as hereinafter described, and the combinations therewith, as hereinafter explained, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a sectional plan view illustrating the applicationof adjusting-washers of my invention to a bicycle'construction. Figs. 2 and Sare'detail views of the parts which constitute my ad justing-washer. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a complete two-part adj listing-washer constructed according to my invention, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modified form of construction in which the adjusting-washer is stamped up from one integral piece.

In ordinary forms of bicycle construction the space between the bicycle-forks and, the wheel-hub is necessarlynarrow. To fit into this narrow space, to turn the ball cones or i casings of bicycle-bearings, it is now customary to employ narrow Wrenches, spanners, or other specialtools. If a bicycle-rider desires to tighten or adjust the bearings of his wheel and does not have at hand the special tools referred to, he is now ordinarily obliged to remove the wheel from the forks before he can obtain access to the ball-cones or ballcasings which are to be screwed up.

- The especial object of my present invention is therefore` to provide an attachment which I term an adjusting-Washer, which will permit the bearings of a wheel to be tightened or adjusted by hand without removing the wheel from the forks.

' In its preferred form an adjusting-washer constructed according toA my invention comprises an annular body portion having its central part bent out to form an integral wrenchsocket extending at right angles with the face of the bodyportion, and on the opposite side of the body portion there is preferably secured a spacing-washerl or an integral bentout portion to hold the body portion of the washer a slight distance from the inside of the forks, thus permitting said washerto be ,readily manipulated.

Referring tothe drawings and in detail, l0 designates an annular sheet-metal body portion or washer havingits central part bent ont to form an integral wrench-socket 11, eXtending at right angles from the face thereof. The

washer or annular piece 12, which is prefer` ably punched from somewhat heavier stock than the body portion l0.

The application of adjusting-Washers constructedaccording to my invention to bicycle constructions is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. As shown in this figure, F F designate the bicycle-forks. In the present instance the front forks of a bicycle are shown for the purpose of illustration, although my adjusting-washers are equally applicable to rear-wheel constructions. The axle of the wheel is designated by the letter A. Threaded onto the axle A are ball-cones C C, one or both of said cones being adjustable. The wheel-hub I-I is provided at its ends with ballcasings W, journaled on two sets of bearingballs B B. The outerlends of the hub I-I are closed by covers or dust-caps D, which may have felt washers or rings secured therein. Engaging the nut-heads of the ball-cones C C are adjusting-washers of the construction beforedescrhed. The axle is secured in the forks by clamping-nuts E in the ordinary manner.

By combining an adj usting-Washer of my invention with a bicycle-bearing I have provided a construction which can be adjusted by hand without the use of special tools and without removing the wheels from the forks- IOO that is to say, when the clamping-nuts are loosened the adj usting-washers may then be turned to tighten or adj ust the bearings-and as the adjusting-washers are of compaia tively large diameter they Will secure a sufficient leverage, so that the bearings can be readily adjusted under all ordinary conditions, and if the same are jammed or stuck the Spanner-socket 13 will provide means for turning the same. In some cases instead of employing two distinct pieces to form each adj usting-washer I contemplate striking up ad j Listing-washers so that each Washer may be formed in a single integral piece,andlhaveillustratedsuchaconstruction in Fig. As shown in this figure,.the central part of the body portion of the washer 10is irstbent'out and then back upon itself to forma dkoublewalled wrench-socket 110 and an integral bent-out.spacing-section 120. In this modified form of construction it will be seen that the double-Walled wrench-socket 110 will be somewhat stronger than the bent-out wrench-socket ll of the construction before described and the integral spacing-section 120' tion before described, to hold the body portion vof the adjusting-washer slightly away from the inside ofl the bicycle-forks, so that said adjusting-washer will be conveniently accessible.

I am aware that changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the constructionof my adjusting-washer and that my adjustingwasher is applicable to other forms of bearings than those herein illustrated. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the forms which I have herein shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. As an article of manufacture, an adjusting-washer comprising a sheet-metal circular or disk-shaped bodyportion having a wrenchsocket hexagonal in cross-section extending at right angles' from one face thereof, and a spacing section or washer .on the other face of the body portion, said spacing section or washer having a circular hole for 'receiving an axle, substantially as described.

2. As an article of manufacture, an adjusting-washer consisting of a single integral piece of sheet-metal having its center part bent out to form a wrench-socket hexagonal in crosssection extending from one face thereof, and then bent back in the opposite direction to form a spacing washer or section projecting from the other face thereof, and having a circular hole for receiving an axle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REYNOLD JANNEY. Witnesses:

O. E. GAIN, A. T. RATO/HELDER. 

